Furniture fitting for fastening a front panel

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a furniture fitting for attaching a front panel to a drawer frame, comprising a fastening device for the front panel that is associated with the drawer frame and a connecting element that can be mounted on the front panel, which connecting element comprises mounting elements, in particular dowels, for fastening to the front panel, wherein the connecting element can be fastened to the fastening device in a detachable and in particular position-adjustable manner, and comprises a first part and a second part arranged at a distance from the first part in the mounting position, wherein the first part of the connecting element can be connected to the front panel by means of at least two mounting elements and the second part of the connecting element can be connected to the front panel by means of at least two further mounting elements.

The invention concerns a furniture fitting for mounting a front panel toa drawer frame member, comprising a fastening device for the frontpanel, that is associated with the drawer frame member, and a connectingelement which can be mounted to the front panel and which has mountingelements, in particular dowels, for fastening to the front panel,wherein the connecting element can be fastened releasably and inparticular adjustably in position to the fastening device and has afirst portion and a second portion spaced in relation to the firstportion in the mounted position. The invention further concerns a drawerhaving such a furniture fitting and an article of furniture having afurniture carcass and such a drawer.

The most widely varying technical procedures are already known in thefield of mounting front panels to a drawer container, in particular aframe member. In most cases such a furniture fitting comprises on theone hand a connecting element which is associated with the front paneland which remains on the front panel even in the removed condition ofthe latter. On the other hand the furniture fitting has a fasteningdevice which is associated with the frame member and to which theconnecting element mounted to the front panel is connected. In mostcases arranged in the region of the furniture fitting are adjustingelements which permit direct or indirect positional displacement of thefront panel in relation to the frame member.

A furniture fitting of that kind is known from AT 509411 A1 which ispublished after the relevant date. In particular the structure shown inFIG. 16 in that specification shows a two-part connecting elementmounted separately to the front panel. A disadvantage with thatconfiguration is that the respective portions of the connecting elementare respectively connected only to a holding projection on the frontpanel so that they can be relatively easily turned and thus theorientation of the two portions of the connecting element relative toeach other is not in conformity with the orientation required forfastening to the actual drawer. In addition with this constructionstockkeeping is quite complicated and expensive as two mutuallydifferent portions have to be kept in stock separately from each otherand have to be appropriately correctly associated upon production of thefurniture fitting.

Therefore the object of the present invention is to provide a furniturefitting which is improved over the state of the art or over thespecification of earlier priority. In particular the invention seeks toprovide that the furniture fitting is suitable for front panels of anyheight. In addition the invention seeks to provide that stockkeeping ofthe furniture fitting parts, that is as simple as possible, is enabled.In addition the invention seeks to provide that the pressing-in forcewhen mounting the connecting element to the front panel can be appliedas uniformly as possible to the different mounting elements.

That is achieved for a furniture fitting having the features of theclassifying portion of claim 1, in that the first portion of theconnecting element can be connected to the front panel by way of atleast two mounting elements and the second portion of the connectingelement can be connected to the front panel by way of at least twofurther mounting elements. In that way it is possible for the twoportions of the connecting element to be fitted in exactly mutuallyoriented relationship and also to remain in that position on the frontpanel. In addition the individual portions of the connecting element canalso be fitted to the front panel relatively widely spaced from eachother so that it is also possible to fit a very high front panel (forexample over 30 cm) to a drawer frame member which is then suitablyincreased in height. Even in the case of high front panels thisstructure affords the advantage of using little material with at thesame time non-displaceable fitment of the portions of the connectingelement to the front panel.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention can provide that theconnecting element has at least two latching elements by way of whichthe connecting element can be fastened to the fastening device and canbe preferably hung therein, wherein the first portion of the connectingelement has the first latching element and the second portion of theconnecting element has the second latching element.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention it can be provided that thetwo portions of the connecting element are U-shaped in cross-section andhave two substantially mutually parallel side plates connected togetherby way of a transverse limb. In that case the respective connectingelement is stamped out of a preferably metallic, one-piece, plate-shapedelement and bent into shape.

To provide on the one hand a sturdy furniture fitting and on the otherhand a less expensive furniture fitting, it can particularly preferablybe provided that the fastening device has a one-piece adjusting plate towhich the first and second portions of the connecting element can befastened. As a result the furniture fitting—in particular with the frontpanel fitted—is very rigid. In addition the height and lateral adjustingmeans can act on that one portion.

To provide a good hold for the mounting elements to the respectiveconnecting element it can preferably be provided that the at least twomounting elements are fastened to the transverse limb of the respectiveportion of the connecting element and project from the side, remote fromthe side plates, of the transverse limb of the respective portion of theconnecting element.

For a simple connection between the connecting element and the fasteningdevice it can preferably be provided that in the region remote from thetransverse limb the side plates are connected by a preferably metallicpin which forms the latching element of the respective portion of theconnecting element, wherein the respective portion of the connectingelement can be hung by way of said pin at a respective latching grooveof the fastening device.

To provide for particularly simple stockkeeping it is preferablyprovided that the first portion and the second portion of the connectingelement are substantially identical. In that respect substantiallyidentical means that the individual portions of the connecting elementinvolve the same dimensions and are produced in the same productionprocess. It will be appreciated that there may be small differencescaused by production engineering.

It is particularly important for optimum fastening of the front panel tothe frame member if the first portion and the second portion of theconnecting element have a fixed non-displaceable positional relationshipwith each other in the mounted position on the front panel. In thatrespect it is particularly important that mounting of the individualportions of the connecting elements is effected in an alignment on thefront panel. In other words the portions of the connecting element aremounted to the front panel in mutually aligned relationship. That alsoimplies that the pre-bores provided in the front panel for the mountingelements should be arranged in a line.

Particularly simple adjustment of the front panel relative to the framemember is achieved if the fastening device has at least two adjustingelements which engage an adjusting plate of the fastening device and byway of which the connecting element together with the front panel isdisplaceable in respect of position with respect to the fastening devicein the heightwise direction and the lateral direction in the conditionof being mounted to the fastening device.

Protection is also claimed for a drawer having the features of claim 11and an article of furniture having the features of claim 12.

Further details and advantages of the present invention will bedescribed more fully hereinafter by means of the specific descriptionwith reference to the embodiments by way of example illustrated in thedrawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a view of an article of furniture,

FIG. 2 shows a view of a frame member and a front panel prior tofastening,

FIG. 3 shows a view of the portions of the furniture fitting, that arenot yet connected together,

FIG. 4 shows the front panel fitted to the frame member,

FIG. 5 shows the interconnected portions of the furniture fitting,

FIG. 6 shows a side view of the fastening device and the portions of theconnecting element,

FIG. 7 shows the sections A-A and B-B in FIG. 6, and

FIG. 8 shows views of the identical portions of the connecting element.

FIG. 1 shows an article of furniture 18 comprising a furniture carcass19 and a furniture part in the form of a drawer 15, which is movablerelative to the furniture carcass 19 by way of an extension guide 20.The drawer 15 substantially comprises a drawer bottom, a drawer rearwall 17, two frame members 3 forming the side walls of the drawer, andthe front panel 2.

FIG. 2 shows the portions 5 a and 5 b, which are arranged in mutuallyaligned and superposed relationship on the front panel 2, of theconnecting element 5, prior to connection of the drawer frame member 3.FIG. 3 shows a broken-away view in relation to FIG. 2, illustrating theessential portions of the furniture fitting 1 (two-part connectingelement 5 and fastening device 4).

In FIG. 4 the front panel 2 is fastened to the drawer frame member 3. Inmatching relationship therewith, FIG. 5 shows how the first portion 5 aof the connecting element 5 is hung by way of its latching element 7 andthe second portion 5 b of the connecting element 5 is hung by way of itslatching element 8, on corresponding latching grooves 12 on an adjustingplate 4 a of the fastening device 4.

Shown on the right-hand side in FIG. 6 are the portions 5 a and 5 b ofthe connecting element 5, which each have two mounting elements 6 in theform of dowels. In this case they can each be spread by way of aspreading member 23 which engages into the dowels so as to permit fixingin a corresponding bore in the front panel 2. It will be appreciatedthat mounting in the form of inserter dowels as are known for examplefrom EP 0 698 357 A1 should also not be ruled out. Other fitment typessuch as screwing in the individual mounting elements 6 should also notbe excluded.

Shown in the left-hand region in FIG. 6 is the fastening device 4 whichsubstantially comprises two frame plates 4 b and 4 c and a centraladjusting plate 4 a which is displaceable relative to the frame plates 4b and 4 c. That adjusting plate 4 a is displaceable with respect to theframe plates 4 b and 4 c in the height direction H and in the lateraldirection SR by the adjusting elements 13 and 14. Also arranged on theadjusting plate 4 a is the pivotable locking element 21 which arreststhe latching element 8 in the region of the latching groove 12 in themounted position of the connecting element 5 on the fastening device 4.By pivotal movement of the locking element 21 in the clockwise directionthe locking nose 22 is moved towards the left so that the latchingelements 8 (and 7) can be released upwardly from the fastening device 4by lifting the front panel. To permit the entire front panel 2 to behung in position by way of the portions 5 a and 5 b of the connectingelement prior to definitive arresting at the fastening device 4, thereis provided the hanging engagement groove 24 on the adjusting plate 4 a.

FIG. 7 in the section A-A shows the configuration of the connectingelement 5, which is U-shaped in cross-section, wherein the mountingelement 6 is fitted in the transverse limb 9 that is reinforced bybending of the side plates 10, by way of the spreading portion 23. Thesection B-B shows the relatively long side plates 10 which aresubstantially parallel to each other and which with the transverse limb9 form the one-piece metallic base element of each connecting element 5.In the region remote from the transverse limb 9 a pin 11 connects thetwo side plates 10, wherein that pin 11 is at the same time in the formof a first latching element 7 and a second latching element 8.

FIG. 8 shows once again the configuration of the portions 5 a and 5 b ofthe connecting element 5, that is of U-shaped cross-section. Themounting elements 6 and the spreading portions 23 as well as thelatching elements 7 and 8 are also shown. It will be appreciated that itis not out of the question that more than two mounting elements 6 areprovided for each portion 5 a or 5 b of the connecting element 5. Itwill be noted however that the structure having precisely two mountingelements 6 per portion 5 a or 5 b of the connecting element 5 is thesimplest in terms of mounting and also applying a uniform pressing-inforce when mounting the connecting element 5 to the front panel 2.

1. A furniture fitting for mounting a front panel to a drawer framemember, comprising: a fastening device for the front panel, that isassociated with the drawer frame member, and a connecting element whichcan be mounted to the front panel and which has mounting elements, inparticular dowels, for fastening to the front panel, wherein theconnecting element can be fastened releasably and in particularadjustably in position to the fastening device and has a first portionand a second portion spaced in relation to the first portion in themounted position, characterised in that the first portion of theconnecting element can be connected to the front panel by way of atleast two mounting elements and the second portion of the connectingelement can be connected to the front panel by way of at least twofurther mounting elements.
 2. A furniture fitting as set forth in claim1 characterised in that the connecting element has at least two latchingelements by way of which the connecting element can be fastened to thefastening device and can preferably be hung therein, wherein the firstportion of the connecting element has the first latching element and thesecond portion of the connecting element has the second latchingelement.
 3. A furniture fitting as set forth in claim 1 characterised inthat the two portions of the connecting element are U-shaped incross-section and have two substantially mutually parallel side platesconnected together by way of a transverse limb.
 4. A furniture fittingas set forth in claim 3 characterised in that the at least two mountingelements are fastened to the transverse limb of the respective portionof the connecting element and project from the side, remote from theside plates, of the transverse limb of the respective portion of theconnecting element.
 5. A furniture fitting as set forth in claim 3characterised in that in the region remote from the transverse limb theside plates are connected by a preferably metallic pin which forms thelatching element of the respective portion of the connecting element,wherein the respective portion of the connecting element can be hung byway of said pin at a respective latching groove of the fastening device.6. A furniture fitting as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that thefirst portion and the second portion of the connecting element (5) aresubstantially identical.
 7. A furniture fitting as set forth in claim 1characterised in that the first portion and the second portion of theconnecting element have a fixed non-displaceable positional relationshipwith each other in the mounted position on the front panel.
 8. Afurniture fitting as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that thefastening device has at least two adjusting elements which engage anadjusting plate of the fastening device and by way of which theconnecting element together with the front panel is displaceable inrespect of position with respect to the fastening device in theheightwise direction and the lateral direction (SR) in the condition ofbeing mounted to the fastening device.
 9. A furniture fitting as setforth in claim 8 characterised in that the connecting element can behung in engagement by way of the latching elements at the latchinggrooves in the adjusting plate, preferably lockably and releasably by alocking element.
 10. A furniture fitting as set forth in claim 1characterised in that the fastening device has a one-piece adjustingplate.
 11. A furniture fitting as set forth in claim 10 characterised inthat the first portion and the second portion of the connecting elementcan be fastened to the adjusting plate.
 12. A drawer comprising a drawerbottom, a drawer rear wall, two drawer frame members forming the drawerside walls, and a front panel, wherein each of the two drawer framemembers is connected to the front panel by a furniture fitting as setforth in claim
 1. 13. An article of furniture comprising a furniturecarcass and a furniture part movable relative to the furniture carcass,in the form of a drawer as set forth in claim 12.